When Cathy Engelbert first responded to Napheesa Collier’s allegations, she didn’t actually deny them. And when the denial finally did come, it wasn’t by her own initiative. It happened during a routine set-up, only after a reporter brought it up.

Discussing Cathy Engelbert’s recent presser on the We Need To Talk podcast, Erica Ayala said, “This wasn’t a special press conference. This was a press conference that would have happened even if Phee didn’t make those comments. This is something that is a part of what we see in the league’s schedule. So, I just wanna clarify that as this press conference wasn’t because of Napheesa Collier. It was because it is Game 1 of the WNBA finals.”

Ayala made this observation after pointing out that parts of Cathy’s response in the recent press conference felt defensive, almost like she was doubling down instead of letting the focus remain on the players’ grievances. Reflecting on the timing, Ayala hence questioned whether this was the right moment or platform for Engelbert to defend herself, since it was not, we repeat, a special conference. 

Well, fair enough. After all, only 30 minutes remained for the finals to tip off when Cathy Engelbert stood saying things like, “No one should ever doubt how deeply I care about this league”. 

Addressing the Caitlin Clark-sized Elephant in the room, Engelbert also said, “Obviously, I did not make those comments. Caitlin has been a transformational player in this league. She’s been a great representative of the game… There was a lot of inaccuracies reported out there, and I certainly did not say that.”

When questioned about whether she plans to stay on as WNBA commissioner beyond the current collective bargaining agreement, Cathy Engelbert responded firmly, “Never been a quitter, never shied away from a tough situation,” before continuing, “My staff, and the staff of the teams, and the owners in this league, have made tons of investments to get to where we are today. And so I’m not going to shy away. I’m the commissioner of this league, the leader of this league… there’s so many more things that we can do together, and I hope that the players see that.”

Nancy Armour wrote in her Opinion piece on USA Today. 

Will Cathy Engelbert Step Down as WNBA Commissioner?

In a recent episode of First Take, famous Sports Commentator Stephen A Smith had said, “Cathy Engelbert, the commissioner of the league… let me say for the record: You should resign. You need to resign. Period.” Usually, when so many voices—from both inside and outside the league—call for a resignation, the demand is met. However, in the case of Cathy Engelbert, it seems like she has no plans of stepping down just yet.

In her press conference, she was asked about the resignation, and she denied all the rumors. She said, “Obviously, I’ve never been a quitter… never shied away from tough situations… I’ve always been someone who believes in the fact that we have, if there’s things we need to fix, we’re going to fix them.” However, these comments have done little to quash the rumors about her firing as the commissioner.

Engelbert’s statements throughout the press conference came across as formal, detached, and surprisingly out of touch, especially at a moment when fans and athletes alike were expecting genuine accountability. The fallout has been immediate. Reports indicate that Collier has canceled the planned meeting, and the rift between her, her supporters, and Engelbert’s office has only widened, only hinting strongly at the tension between the league and its talent.